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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — of law
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com